5958. About faith and about justification through it, that it never can be joined with charity
About the author of the duty of men 1
I have spoken several times with the one in England who wrote the duty of men. He is the same as in the world and so is earnestly meditating on this just as in this world. He wants to join faith alone and justification through it to charity toward the neighbor, for he knows that love, action, deeds and works are spoken of many times in the Word. He believes that at the end a person comes to charity through faith alone because now the person has been justified since there is now a certain endeavor to [do] what is good. He imagines that this endeavor is produced by faith alone as a result of the person now being led by God, and that consequently now no merit is placed in works, and that faith alone brings about conjunction with God, and that God thus leads first to charity and afterwards in charity. He is still continually meditating, ever wanting ever to come closer and also seems to himself to be coming closer, almost to the point of achieving conjunction. But when he is there, his eyes are then opened so that he can see where he is, and he then sees that he is quite far from conjunction and that the way he has taken was through inferences full of falsities that appeared like truths, and also that he had often heard a voice from angels saying that he was not on the path of truth and that there never could be a conjunction. Then it was shown to him by angels that there is a shield and as it were a protecting wall that keeps them apart which he can never penetrate, and that such a protecting wall stands in his way to eternity. But still he goes on in his meditation without interruption. He said to me that in the world he had seen another way, which is the way of charity, and that he wanted to go on it but was dissuaded by a certain eminent prelate, and [that] if he had not gone the way of the doctrine of faith alone and justification thereby, his book would not have been accepted, on which account he had followed that doctrine in his meditations. And from various [misleading] appearances it had seemed to him that he had made the conjunction, but that now because he is in another light he sees that it is forever in vain. I spoke with him using natural mental imagery of a spiritual nature also and showed that it is impossible and that the appearance that it is, based on evidence of many, arises from this: those who led a charitable life but had taken in the doctrine of faith alone from their prelates, held this belief only in their memory but had not led a life according to this faith, which is a life [based on the belief] that after [one has this faith] nothing is damning, and that goodness accomplishes nothing because it comes from oneself and consequently has merit in it, they had not thought this and so had not thought there was justification by faith alone but had merely known about it. Because there is a conjunction [of faith and charity] with the latter, proof had been drawn from them, and to this he had added his confirmatory passages. I spoke much with him about this matter, showing that with the former there is a conjunction [of faith in charity], and never with those who had lived according to the doctrine of faith alone and justification through it. It was shown that even if they had had knowledge of genuine truths in their memory, still there was never a conjunction. The life of charity is to do what is good, honest, and fair from religion, doing so because it has been commanded by the Lord in the Word. Through this life a conjunction takes place because there is an application by a person and from this a reception [of charity]. People should live this life as if from themselves, yet believe that it is from the Lord, for in the beginning, because people are in darkness, they cannot think otherwise than that [they are acting] from themselves when nevertheless it is from the Lord, since the Lord is always present and makes it possible for a person to live this way. So far as people apply themselves and so far as they apply themselves as if from themselves, so far the Lord flows in and so far a person receives [charity], and so far faith and charity are conjoined. But faith alone shuts out all such reception, for which reason there can never be a conjunction, because faith alone puts everything on God's side and nothing on the person's, and people cannot be moved to [doing] this by God when they live from the principal of faith alone. And those who apply this faith to life, believing that evil does not damn and that people cannot do good of themselves, and who consequently don't think about either evil or good as if of themselves, [and] who have lived this way to any extent can never be brought into a life of charity and thus into a conjunction [with it], because they have perverted their rational and spiritual faculty, and this cannot be put straight after this has been done. It is otherwise with those who have merely known these things but not lived according to them, that is to say, those who have not impressed this falsity on their way of life itself.
Footnotes:
1. The Whole Duty of Man, first published anonymously, with an introduction by Henry Hammond, in 1658. The work has been attributed to at least 27 people, beginning with Hammond himself. The consensus view of modern scholars is that the likely author was Richard Allestree.
5958. FAITH ALONE AND JUSTIFICATION THEREBY: IT CAN NEVER BE CONJOINED WITH CHARITY. THE AUTHOR OF "THE DUTY OF MEN."
I conversed on several occasions [with him] who wrote in England, The Duty of Men. He is similar to what he was in the world; thus, earnestly meditating, as in the world, on this matter, that he wishes to conjoin faith alone and justification thereby with charity towards the neighbor - for he knows that, in the Word, mention is often made of love, doing good and works. He believes that man, through faith alone, at length comes to charity; also, when he is justified, since there is then a certain tendency to good; and he supposes that that tendency exists through faith alone; that through that he is then led by God, and that then, consequently, merit is not placed in works; also, that faith alone effects conjunction with God, and that God therefore leads first to charity, and afterwards in charity. He still constantly ponders on this, and always desires to approach, and also seems to himself to approach, even close to the conjunction; but, when he is there, his eyes are opened to see where he is, and he then sees that he is in a path far removed from conjunction, and that the path he has taken, has, through ratiocination, been filled with falsities which have appeared as truths; and he also frequently heard a voice from the angels, that he is not in the way of truth, and that the conjunction can never take place. He is then shown by the angels that there is a beam, and as it were, a barrier, that separates, which can by no means be penetrated, and that such an obstacle opposes men forever. But still he continually goes on meditating. He told me that in the world he saw another way, which is that of charity, and that he wished to go that way, but was dissuaded by a certain celebrated prelate, also because if he did not take the way of the doctrine respecting faith alone and justification by it, his book would not meet with acceptance; wherefore, he pursued that course in his meditations, and, by various appearances, it then seemed to him that he established the conjunction, but that he now sees, because he is in different light, that it is ever to no purpose. I conversed with him also by spiritual-natural ideas, and showed that the thing was impossible, and the appearance from the experience of many things, was owing to this, that they who had led a life of charity, but have adopted from their clergy the doctrine about faith alone, entertained that opinion only in the memory, but still did not lead a life according to that faith - which life is, that afterwards evil does not condemn at all, and good avails nothing, since it is from proprium, and thus merit is in it. These did not think this, nor, therefore, that justification is by faith alone, but were merely acquainted with [the dogma]. Inasmuch as there is conjunction in the case of these, therefore experience has been taken from them and he added this to his confirmations. I spoke much with him about this matter, showing that conjunction exists with these, and by no means with those who lived according to the doctrine respecting faith alone and justification thereby; and it was shown that if these also had known genuine truths as to the memory, still there could never be conjunction. The life of charity is to practice good, sincerity and justice, from religion, thus, because it is commanded by the Lord in the Word. By that life conjunction takes place, because application is made by man, and hence there is a reception. Man ought to lead that life as from himself, but still to believe that he does so from the Lord; for man in the beginning, because he is in darkness, is not able to think otherwise than that it is from himself, when, nevertheless, it is from the Lord, inasmuch as the Lord is constantly present and gives to man so to live. So far as he applies himself, and so far as he applies himself as from himself, so far the Lord inflows, and so far the man receives and so far he is conjoined. But faith alone excludes all such reception; wherefore, conjunction never [occurs], for he places everything on the side of God, and nothing on the side of man, and man cannot be moved by God thereto, when he lives from a principle of faith alone. And with these who have applied that faith to the life, believing that evil does not condemn, and [that] one cannot do good of himself, and hence thinks neither of evil nor of good, as of himself; he who has lived thus to any considerable extent, can never afterwards be led to the life of charity, and thus to conjunction, for he has perverted his Rational and Spiritual, as to which he is unable to be turned back again afterwards. It is otherwise with those who have merely known these things, but have not lived according to them, or have not imbued their very life itself with that falsity.
5958. De sola fide et de justificatione per illam quod nusquam conjungi possit cum charitate
De autore duty of men
Loquutus sum aliquoties qui scripsit in Anglia duty of men, is sibi similis est sicut in mundo, ita meditabundus de eo, sicut in mundo, quod conjungere velit solam fidem et justificationem per illam cum charitate erga proximum, scit enim quod in Verbo toties nominatur amor, facere, facta et opera, credens quod homo per solam fidem tandem veniat ad charitatem, tunc enim justificatus est, quoniam tunc, est quidam conatus ad bonum, putans quod ille conatus detur per solam fidem, per id quod tunc ducatur a Deo, et quod tunc sic non meritum ponatur in operibus, et quod sola fides operetur conjunctionem cum Deo, et quod Deus sic ducat primum ad charitatem et postea in charitate, hoc meditatur continue adhuc, et vult semper approximare, et quoque videtur sibi approximare, usque prope ad conjunctionem, sed cum ibi est, tunc aperiuntur ei oculi ut videat ubi est, et tunc videt quod prorsus in via procul a conjunctione sit, et quod via quam ivit fuerit per ratiocinationem plena falsis quae apparuerunt ut vera, et quoque audivit saepius vocem ab angelis, quod in via non veri sit, et quod nusquam possit fieri conjunctio, ostenditur tunc ei ab angelis quod sit tegmen et quasi antemurale, quod distinguit, quod nequaquam potest penetrare, et quod tale obstet ei in aeternum; sed usque in meditatione pergit continue, dixit mihi quod in mundo viderit alteram viam, quae est charitatis, et quod voluerit ire illam, sed ab antistite aliquo insigni dehortatus, et quod si non iret viam doctrinae de sola fide et de justificatione per illam, liber ejus non acceptaretur, quapropter illud persequutus est in meditationibus suis, et per apparentias varias sibi visus tunc est quod conjunctionem fecerit, sed quod nunc videat, quia in alia luce est, quod semper frustra; loquutus sum cum illo etiam per ideas spirituales naturales, et ostendi quod impossibile, et quod apparentia ex experientia plurium sit ex eo, quod illi qui charitatis vitam egerant, sed ex antistitibus suis hauserunt doctrinam de sola fide, illam opinionem solum in memoriatenuerint, sed usque non vitam secundum illam fidem egerint - quae vita est quod postea malum nihil damnet, et bonum nihil faciat, quia id ex proprio, ita in illo meritum - hoc illi non cogitaverunt, ita nec justificationem per solam fidem sed modo sciverunt, apud hos quia conjunctio est, ideo experientia ab illis sumpta est, et hoc addidit confirmantibus suis, de hac re multum cum illo loquutus sum, ostendendo quod apud hos detur conjunctio, et nequaquam apud illos qui vixerunt secundum doctrinam de sola fide et de justificatione per illam, et ostensum est, quod si illi etiam genuina vera scivissent quoad memoriam, quod usque nusquam conjunctio: vita charitatis est agere bonum, sincerum et justum, ex religione, ita quia praeceptum est a Domino in Verbo, per illam vitam fit conjunctio, quia fit applicatio ab homine, et inde receptio; homo debet illam vitam agere sicut ex se, sed usque credere quod a Domino, homo enim in principio quia est in obscuro non aliter cogitare potest quam quod a se, cum tamen est a Domino, quoniam Dominus semper praesens est et dat homini ita vivere, quantum applicat se, et quantum se applicat sicut ex se, tantum Dominus influit, et tantum homo recipit, et tantum conjungitur, at sola fides excludit omnem receptionem talem, quare nusquam conjunctio, ponit enim omne a parte Dei, et nihil a parte hominis, et homo non a Deo potest agi ad id, quando ex principio de sola fide vivit, et apud illos qui illa fidei applicuerunt vitae, credendo quod non malum damnet, et bonum non possit facere a se, et inde nec de malo nec de bono sicut a se cogitat, is qui sic vixit aliquantum, is dein nusquam potest perduci ad vitam charitatis et sic ad conjunctionem, peverterat enim suum rationale et spirituale, quod inverti postea non potest, aliter apud illos qui solum norunt illa sed non vixerunt secundum illa, seu qui non imbuerunt falsum illud ipsa vita sua.